New England Patriots

‘Deep’ draft? Patriots elected to punt

In this photo taken Feb. 5, 2017, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches during warm ups before the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Houston. If the Patriots are the NFL's model franchise, maybe the rest of the league needs to take a closer look at how Belichick and Co. have gone about constructing their roster, especially when it comes to the draft. These are the basic tenets: stockpile picks; go relatively heavy on defense and offensive line; go light on skill positions; when you find a starter, keep him. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

By The Boston Globe

April 30, 2017

1 minute to read

This year’s NFL Draft was supposedly loaded with talent. Listening to the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock in the days leading up to the draft, this year’s class was “deep” at tight end, running back, and edge rusher, and “very deep” at safety.

Naturally, the Patriots punted.

Bill Belichick is always out there alone, doing his own thing, while the other 31 teams play catch-up. This year, it was eschewing draft picks for proven players, ending this weekend’s three-day draft bonanza by selecting just four players, the smallest draft class in team history and smallest draft class by any defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history.

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